How To Transfer Text Messages From Iphone To Mac Computer For Free

Sending and receiving messages through iPhone is, obviously, extremely convenient. In the palm of your hand you have the power to send text and media to contacts all over the world.

Dr.fone is the most appropriate way to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer for free.The users get trial version for free and the outcomes has always been superb, as stated by millions of users. This software beats any other software for its excellence in transferring quality as well as. Just in case, you aren’t pleased with the above two methods, you can use third-party software for Mac or Windows to transfer your iPhone messages to the computer. There are some apps that I have tried and found pretty useful: iExplorer, EaseUS MobiMover, and Decipher TextMessage.

This convenience comes at a price - many of us have thousands of messages on our phones, taking up storage space and becoming increasingly hard to manage.

If you have a lot of messages on your device, searching through your messages, finding the conversation you're looking for and viewing it can be tricky. This guide will take you through the top three ways to view your iPhone messages directly on the big screen of your PC or Mac computer.

Quick Jump to...

1. View iPhone messages directly on your computer (PC/Mac)

Our first method explores how you can view your iPhone messages in a clear format on your PC or Mac using TouchCopy.

TouchCopy is a popular app which allows you to view and export media from iPhone to computer.

We can use this tool to easily view and search iPhone messages, export them to computer, and even print them out!

What you'll need:

You can use TouchCopy on a PC running Windows 10, 8 and 7, or Mac using Mac OSX 10.9 (OS X Mavericks) or higher.
Your iPhone.
Your USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer.

Viewing iPhone messages in TouchCopy:

To view SMS, MMS, iMessage or WhatsApp conversations in TouchCopy, simply connect your iPhone and click the Messages section.

View the messages in a conversation by clicking it in the list.

You'll see all your messages, emojis, times/dates, attached media like photos, and contacts details.

Try TouchCopy free ▼

Receive an email with a link so you can download the free trial on your computer:

Note: We respect your privacy. We won't share your Email address with anyone else, or send you spam.

Searching iPhone messages in TouchCopy:

Searching messages on iPhone can be fiddly. TouchCopy makes it easy to search through your messages on a big screen.

To do this, enter a contact's name or a key word / phrase that you are looking for into the search box and hit Enter (Return) on your keyboard.

TouchCopy will return a list of only conversations in which your keyword was mentioned. You can click a conversation to see exactly which messages contain your keyword!

Find more information about viewing and searching iPhone messages in TouchCopy >

What Next?

Using TouchCopy just to view your messages is like using an iPhone only to make calls. There's so much more you can do.

Now that you can access your messages on your computer, why not export them for safekeeping, or print them off?

2. View iPhone messages from an iTunes backup (PC/Mac)

If you don't have access to your iPhone anymore, or the texts you are trying to view have been lost or deleted, you'll need to use a backup of your iPhone.

If you backup your iPhone to your computer, your messages will be saved to the backup. The problem is, you can't actually access your messages in the backup without a tool like iBackup Extractor.

iBackup Extractor is a trusted tool which allows you to access the information stored in an iTunes backup, and even extract it to your computer!

What you'll need:

You can use iBackup Extractor on a PC running Windows 10, 8 and 7, or Mac using Mac OSX 10.9 (OS X Mavericks) or higher.
A backup of your iPhone stored on your PC or Mac.

How to View iPhone Text Messages on Computer Without Phone:

As mentioned, you don't actually need your iPhone to be able to use iBackup Extractor. This tool accesses a backup of your iPhone stored on your computer to enable you to view your backed up messages.

What's that, you need to view old iPhone messages, or ones which have been deleted from your phone? No problem, if the messages are stored in a backup, you can get to them with iBackup Extractor.

To view your messages, launch iBackup Extractor, select the backup containing your desired messages, and select the conversation you need to view its messages!

You can also search your messages for a particular contact or key phrase by entering your query in the search bar in iBackup Extractor!

Try iBackup Extractor free ▼

Receive an email with a link so you can download the free trial on your computer:

Note: We respect your privacy. We won't share your Email address with anyone else, or send you spam.

What Next?

Making new backups of your iPhone on your computer usually means overwriting the old one. This could mean that you lose the data you need.

To avoid this, you can extract the important bits you need from your backup using iBackup Extractor: Save your SMS, MMS, iMessage and WhatsApp conversations to your computer. You can export as HTML, PDF or Plain text, or print out your messages so that you have a hard copy.

3. View messages, and text from your computer
(Mac only)

Our final method is provided free by Apple and uses the Messages app on Mac computers.

'With Messages for Mac, you can send unlimited messages to any Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that uses iMessage, Apple's secure-messaging service. iPhone owners can use it for SMS and MMS messages, too.' - Apple

That's right- not only can you view your iPhone messages through your Mac, you can even use it to send messages!

The only problem here is that if this is the first time you are setting up your Mac to receive your iPhone messages, you'll only be able to view new messages sent after this point. To view older iPhone messages as well, you'll need to use Method 1 or Method 2.

What you'll need:

A Mac or MacBook with the Messages app installed.
The Apple ID details used on your iPhone.

How to View iPhone messages using Mac Messages app:

All you need to do to get your iPhone messages on your Mac is to open the Messages app on your Mac.

If your Mac uses the same Apple ID as your iPhone, you'll see your messages. If your Mac is not set up in this way, you can sign in using your Apple ID the first time that you open the Messages app on Mac.

This initial setup will only allow you to view and send iMessages. If you'd like to view and send SMS and MMS, as well as iMessages, you'll need to set up text message forwarding.

Setting up Text Message Forwarding

Ensure that your iPhone and Mac are using the same Apple ID...
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive.
- On your Mac, open the Messages app, click Messages in the toolbar > Preferences, then click iMessage.
On your iPhone, open Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding.
Tap the switch next to your Mac's name to allow it to send and receive SMS and MMS from your iPhone.
You may receive a verification code on your Mac. If so, enter the code on your iPhone to allow this change.

The SMS and MMS you receive on your iPhone will now also forward to your Mac, if both devices are connected to the internet.

Takeaways

So, now you know the best 3 ways to view your iPhone messages on your computer.

As you can see, each method has its own unique benefits. You should now have all the knowledge you need to make an informed decision about which method is best for you.

If you are still unsure, here's what we recommend:

Use TouchCopy to view SMS, MMS, iMessage and WhatsApp messages. You can also save and print your messages.
Use iBackup Extractor to view your iPhone messages from an iPhone backup. This method is perfect if you don't have your iPhone, or if you are looking for messages which were deleted from your iPhone.
Use Mac Messages app if you want to send and receive text messages on your Mac. Not suitable for viewing older messages, or for viewing WhatsApp conversations.

Thanks for reading!

Publisher: Wide Angle Software

With Messages for Mac, you can send unlimited messages to any Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that uses iMessage, Apple's secure-messaging service. iPhone owners can use it for SMS and MMS messages, too.

Set up iMessage

Iphone Message Transfer To Pc

iMessage is the Apple messaging service you get automatically with your Apple ID.If Messages asks you to sign in, use the same Apple ID that you use with Messages on your iPhone and other devices. It's usually the same Apple ID that you use for iCloud, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the account you created when you first set up your Mac.

Transfer Iphone Text To Computer

Learn what to do if you get an error when trying to sign in to iMessage.

Have a conversation

Click the New Message button at the top of the Messages window.
Type the recipient's name, email address, or phone number, or click and choose a recipient. If they're in your Contacts app, Messages finds them as you type. To start a group conversation, just add more recipients.
Type your message in the field at the bottom of the window, then press Return to send it.
- To include emoji, click .
- To include an image or other file, just drag or paste it into the message field.
- To include an audio recording, click and record your message.
- To add other items, such as Memoji stickers, GIFs, and message effects, click the apps button .
After starting a conversation, click the Information button (or Details) in the upper-right corner of the window to take actions such as these:
- Use FaceTime to start an audio call or video call .
- Share a screen .
- Hide alerts, so that you aren't disturbed by notifications about the conversation.
- Share your location temporarily or indefinitely, or send your current location. You can also see the recipient's location—if they're sharing their location with you.
- See all of the photos and files that were exchanged in the conversation.
- Customize the group, such as by changing the group's name or photo, adding members to the group, or leaving the group. If the group has four or more members, you can remove members: Control-click the member's name, then choose Remove from Conversation.

New in macOS Big Sur

macOS Big Sur introduces new features to improve conversations:

Pin a conversation to the top of the conversation list so that you can quickly get to it. Just Control-click the conversation to open a shortcut menu, then choose Pin.
Help bring your message to the attention of a group member: Either click their name after you type it, or include the @ symbol before their name: “@Jocelyn, see you then!” When you mention someone, their name is highlighted in the message, and they will receive a notification letting them know they’ve been mentioned.
Create an inline reply to a specific message in a conversation: Control-click the message to open a shortcut menu, then choose Reply. Or click a bubble to select it, then press Command-R.
Use iMessage apps to add effects to your message.

Use iMessage apps

Starting with macOS Big Sur, Messages includes iMessage apps near the message field. Use it to choose items from your Photos library, add Memoji stickers, add trending GIFs using #images, and use Message Effects such as balloons, confetti, or lasers.

Add a tapback to a message

A Tapback is a quick response that expresses what you think about a message, such as that you like it or think it's funny. Your Tapback is visible to everyone in the conversation who is using iMessage.

Control-click a message bubble to open a shortcut menu.
Choose Tapback from the menu.
Click a Tapback to add it to the message bubble.

Here's another way to add a Tapback: Click a bubble to select it, then press Command-T.

Use Siri to send messages

You can also use Siri to send, read, and reply to Messages. Examples:

Iphone Copy Messages To Email

”Send a message to Susan and Johnny saying I'll be late' or ”Tell Johnny Appleseed the show is about to start” or ”Text a message to 408 555 1212.”
”Read the last message from Brian Park” or ”Read my new messages.”
”Reply that's great news” or ”Tell him I'll be there in 10 minutes.”

Send text messages to anyone

If you have an iPhone with a text messaging plan, learn how to set up text message forwarding so you can send and receive SMS and MMS messages from your Mac.

Delete a message or conversation

When you delete a message or conversation, it's permanent: You can't get it back.

Delete a message